Apple’s Macbook is FUBAR

27 Jul

Posted by MacRanger as Crappy Companies, Politics, Ripoffs

Ok, once again, I need to rant - I’m told it’s good for you.

It’s now day eight since my “Superfast, blogging, postcasting, do everything out of the box” piece of crap Macbook took a dump. Called the support today as it showed being already repaired and waiting to be shipped back to me. They told me that status was incorrect and that it was in fact waiting on a part. Ok, how long? They don’t know. Any ETA? Cannot advise.

How should I phrase this. Oh yeah, WTF? Listen Apple, you got my grand, and posted your big profits recently, and meanwhile I’m feeling like someone inserted a object somewhere south of Neptune - know what i mean? I own this craptop for three weeks before it’s FUBAR and I use it extensively in my work, and I can’t even get an approximate ETA on repair.

Choice Apple - real Choice!

Silly rant, hardly. Make NO mistake there is a major problem with the Apple Macbook. There is a serious logic board flaw which causes unexpected shutdowns, NOT cool when you’re developing websites on the side or doing a presentation.

So my advice? Do NOT buy one until Apple acknowledges the “shut off issue” - see this thread on their OWN support site for more. This thread replaced a previous thread that Apple closed that had over 600 entries and 20,000 views.

Apple has a real problem acknowleding problems with their stuff. Previously there was the G3 (white) Apple ibook that had logic board problems, then the original iPod with (opps) non-changable batteries. In both cases suits were threaten before they addressed the problems.

Apple needs to WTFU and get real with it’s customers or we will get real with them and go elsewhere.

Word!

Macbook Apple

No Response

Dc

July 28th, 2006 at 2:13 am
1

Mac,
Sorry you are having trouble. Yes, it was an engineering issue having to do with overheating because of the way the parts were designed and also how they were made. But, from my understanding they have new parts to fix it.

Most likely, they are backordered because of 1) lots of people have this problem 2) they are continually updating the part to fix the issue as it evolves.

In that case, you are BETTER off, waiting to get the latest edition of the part rather than get a “better’ solution that ultimately fails again down the road. Yep..frustrating.

Want to hear mine? I bought a Samsung 32 inch LCD plus extended warranty with in home repair from BestBuy which looked fantastic. BB has a 30 day return policy. On the 30th day, at 11pm (or thereabouts) the TV starts to randomly turn itself off and on and off and on. I called about 2 days later..they said..oops…past the 30 days. You’ll have to have it repaired. So, they send out a tech. He says..it needs entire new boards that will have to be ordered (about 2 weeks). He says..too bad they didn’t just give you a new set.

I don’t hear anything. So, I call. They say the part is backordered…and it may be over a month. I demand a replacement..they say …umm..no. I asked for a loaner for the wait..they said..no. I asked for a steep discount on a crt to buy while I wait the month to get mine fixed. They offered a 10 dollar discount card..because they felt sooooo bad.

So, I went out and bought a cheap 13 crt..to watch for almost a month. The month comes..and the tech shows up wtih the boards, replaces them..and viola…guess what? The TV doesn’t work. So, he says..HA..guess you need a replacement. He authorizes the replacement..but they tell me because I didn’t pay the 150 bucks to have BB drive the TV to my house and set it up…that I have to take the TV back to the store and exchange it. NO problem.

To make an even LONGER story shorter, It took 2 hours at BB to make the exchange and that was after them giving me a hard time about it.
I get the new TV home…”finally” ..plug it in..and viola…..it looks like crap!! It’s not NEAR the TV I had before. And I can’t take it back because it otherwise..”works” and it’s otherwise “new”.

The moral of the story is this: Sometimes..you are better off repairing what you “know”..than you are…getting a new one…that you don’t. That’s true too.

Sometimes..getting a new one..fixes everything.

There you go. Who knows!!

Generally..the rule of thumb mac…if it takes a month or more…they should just send you a new one…with faster processor, etc…that might make you at least..somewhat less angry
That usually do that..btw..in my experience.
It doesn’t matter that at this stage..they have not made that determination. Make sure you “do” suggest that to them though.

Dc
Chuck

July 29th, 2006 at 7:45 am
2

[url=http://www.macintouch.com/]Macintouch[/url] has released partial results from their survey of MacBook/MacBook Pro reliability. From their survey it would appear that ~93% of users are satisfied or better. I would also note that even though I personally think that the error rates are high that there is an improvement of earlier models. None of this will make you feel better.

My comment about threads at Apple that report issues is that it’s usually just the whiners and complainers who post. Every time there is a new release of OS X there are numerous threads from people whose machines suddenly develop problems and who want to reinstall the previous release, the same release they undoubtedly whined about when it was released. The vast majority of users, such as me, have never has a problem with an OS X release and don’t bother to post to say how happy we are.
Macranger

July 29th, 2006 at 9:19 am
3

Just an update, per a friend in the support field, Apple will be announcing in the coming week or two a fix and partial recall for Macbooks, due to issues with the logic used in the first five weeks of production. They are no longer using that production facility.

I don’t give much credence to Macintouch or or “mac-specific” sites as they are too financially invested in Apple to actually give out credible information.

What is real is the local Apple Store that has 73 macbooks in it’s Store Mail in que, all for logic board related issues.